Pompeo Named to House Intelligence Committee

Speaker of the House John Boehner has named Congressman Mike Pompeo, R-Kansas, the newest member of a key committee overseeing national security, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI).

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Butler County Times Gazette

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Posted Feb. 8, 2013 at 7:11 AM
Updated Feb 8, 2013 at 11:27 AM

Posted Feb. 8, 2013 at 7:11 AM
Updated Feb 8, 2013 at 11:27 AM

WASHINGTON—Speaker of the House John Boehner has named Congressman Mike Pompeo, R-Kansas, the newest member of a key committee overseeing national security, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI). The committee is charged with oversight of the United States Intelligence Community, which includes the intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the CIA, NSA, and more than a dozen other elements of the US Government, as well as the Military Intelligence Program.

“I am honored to serve on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence at a time when our nation still faces great challenges abroad,” said Pompeo. “I have long held great faith in our intelligence services, and I am excited at the prospect of working with them to ensure Americans’ national security.”

Pompeo, a second-term congressman, brings a variety of skills and personal experiences to this assignment. He graduated first in his class at West Point and then served in the cavalry in Central Europe during the Cold War. As a Harvard Law graduate and editor of the Harvard Law Review, Pompeo’s legal background will be a major asset to the committee in ensuring a proper, constitutional framework for intelligence gathering. His home state also houses major military installations including McConnell Air Force Base, the site of the Kansas Air National Guard’s 184th Intelligence Wing, Fort Leavenworth, Fort Riley, and Forbes Field.

Pompeo continued: “I am proud of Kansas’s role, from at least the days of General Eisenhower, in protecting our great nation, and I am glad it has been recognized again by the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. I plan to rely on my military and private-sector experience to ensure the best outcomes possible for our intelligence apparatus. I want to thank Speaker Boehner and Chairman Mike Rogers for the trust they have placed in me.”

Kansas Senator Pat Roberts also weighed in on the news: “I am pleased Rep. Pompeo has been selected to serve on the HPSCI,” Roberts said. “With his military and business background, he is uniquely suited to help improve intelligence gathering and analysis and by extension, the national security of the United States. From industry to service members, Wichita plays a big part in our nation’s intelligence capabilities. I am proud of the critical intelligence mission our Kansas National Guardsmen at McConnell AFB fulfill every day, and I am certain this unit will benefit from his leadership.”

HPSCI Committee Chairman Mike Rogers said: “Mike will be an outstanding addition to the House Intelligence Committee. He is a graduate of West Point and Harvard Law School, and is a solid leader who serves Kansas well. He also brings specific technical expertise that will serve the Committee well. I look forward to working with him on the Committee.”

Page 2 of 2 - Speaker Boehner said: “I’m proud to welcome Congressman Pompeo to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. I have no doubt that his strong conservative principles and military background will be a major asset to our national security.”